Cleanest engine of the future - € 3.5 Million

The purpose of this prize is to stimulate the development of next generation engine and powertrain technologies using conventional fuels. This should reduce emissions of pollutants in real driving conditions to the lowest level possible in order to improve air quality issues in European cities, while at the same time delivering better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions under the same realistic test conditions.

Why this Prize?

Health impacts due to air quality issues in European cities need to be addressed in the long term along with the decarbonisation of transport.

This prize aims at reducing the pollution produced by future new vehicles using either gasoline or diesel fuels and their low biofuel blends available on the market. While hybridisation and electrification are expected to play an important role, the reduction of emissions by conventional engines will still be important.

Supporting information:

According to the European Environment Agency air pollution is the top environmental risk factor of premature death in Europe

Tests affirm that on-road NOX emissions of light-duty diesel vehicles differ substantially between laboratory testing and actual on-road driving, with average discrepancies of 4-7 times even for very recent vehicles

WHO studies reveal that exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including reduced foetal growth, pre-term birth and spontaneous abortions

Recent studies on air pollution suggest that exposure in early life can significantly affect childhood development and trigger diseases like allergies, asthma or diabetes later in life

Challenge

The Horizon Prize for the Cleanest Engine of the Future will be awarded to participants coming up with a solution integrated in a system prototype, which will be able to demonste reduction of emissions of pollutants and lowering fuel consumption in real driving conditions without affecting the operational capabilities of the vehicle.

Schedule

The contest was launched on 20 April 2016 with a deadline on 20 August 2019. Potential participants are encouraged to register for the contest by 20 May 2019. Prize will be awarded in early 2020.